Illuminated sign.



L. A. WATKINS.

ILLUMINATBD SIGN.

APPLIOA'I'IOI IILED JULY a1, 1909.

987,335, Patented 11211221, 1911. I

2 SHEHTHHEET 1.

M i Jeonard a. WZZ/Zz'na L. A. WATKINS.

ILLUMINATED SIGN,

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11 1909.

987,335; a Patented mall, rm,

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w fideiafork h eoward QT 7&2952220 hereof, and in which,

LEONARD A. WATKINS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

x'LLUMmATnn SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1911.

Application filed July 81, 190B. SeriilNo. 510,671.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEONARD A. WATKINS, a citizen of the United States, residingat. (hicagm in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to illuminated signs that are adapted to be hung upon the outsldeof a building so that the same will attract the attention of persons moving in each direction upon the street, and which, by a unique arrangement of suitable transparencies therein, will perform an optical illusion to the eye of the observer.

The object of my invention is to produce a sign that will embody the maximum attractiveness'at a minimum or nominal cost,

--and one that can be easily rearranged for the purpose of changing the illusion presented. This I accomplish by the means and in the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims. reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part Figure 1 is a vertical front elevation of my improved sign. Fig. 2 is a central transverse vertical sect-ion of the same taken on dotted line 2-2, Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. view of one face of my sign showing the adjacent sign-plate and transparency screen broken away to disclose the interior arrangement of the parts thereof. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view (in transverse section) of a corner edge of the device, drawn to an enlarged scale and illustrating the means for securing'the sign plates and parts together. Fig. 5 is a detail View of a port-ion of the outside 'offthe casing showing the 'means for securing the hanger to the sign.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that A represents a suitable cylindrical shell or casing, preferably made of sheet-metal or the like, and of such dimensions that it will comfortably contain or surround all the parts of my device. This casing is open on each end and has its circumferential edges turned laterally inwardly at right angles to itself to provide annular flanges a, (I, that form seats upon which sign-plates A, A, are adapted to be supported. Suit-able fiat Fig. 3 is a frontannular parallel strengthening rings B, B, are riveted or otherwise secured to the easing A so that they will overhang the flanges thereof a suitable distance. Removable retaining strips 6, I), preferably L-shaped in cross-section, and having a lateral lip 72' on their outer edge, are adapted to be bolted to these strengthening rings B, B, for the purpose of firmly securing the sign-plates- A. into their seats.

Mounted vertically within the casing, preferably in parallel relation to each other, is a pair of metal supporting standards C, C, that have ends (2, c, bent laterally at right angles to themselves and are secured to the casing in such manner that they bridge the same axially and are adapted to be used as a support for other parts of the sign. Journaled in centrally located bearings in these standards is a suitable horizontally disposed shaft (if having a drive pulley or sprocket d mediate its bearings, while the ends thereof projecting beyond said bearings are secured to the central hubs of circular spider-frames I), D, of a diameter slightly less than the inside dimension of the casing. These spiders preferably comprise several arms 6, that project radially from the hub and are secured to a circular wire frame, and the whole is covered with a transparency E that contains suitable designs of contrasting colors arranged in any manner desired. These transparencies are adapted to be ro ta-ted ata slow speed in a. plane slightly back of that of the sign-plate and. as the colors thereon. pass the open letters of the sign the impression will be given to the eye that said letters are moving.

For the purpose-of driving the mechanism just described I prefer to employ an electric or other motor F that is mounted on the lower laterally bent portions of the standards, and through the medium of suitable reduction gears f to connect the same by a belt or chain f with the pulley or sprocket on the spindle.

In order that: access may be readily had to the interior of the casing I have provided suitable sliding doors G, G, near the bottom thereof and just above said doors I construct suitable lateral water-sheds g, 7. While it is possible to use any kind of illuminating agent for the sign I prefer, on account of its convenience to employ electric lamps, L, L,

that are mounted in the most. desirable positions within the casing.

This sign is adapted tobe mounted on a building and hung out over the side-walk so that it may be seen from either direction and in order to do thisl secure suitable transverse bars or plates h, h, to the strengthening rings B, B, on each side of the casing near the top and then pass under the same a pair of brackets or arms H, H, the lower portions of which are bent to conform to the curvature of the casing. These brackets are secured to the casing and transverse plates by rivets or otherwise and have their upper ends hooked (as shown in Fig. 5) so that they may be hung on a horizontal bar projecting from the building.

Suitable ventilators I, I, are provided in the top of the casing for the exit of the heated air while. drains z', i, are formed in the bottom of said casing to remove any water that may gather therein either from condensation or leakage.

What I claim as new is 1. As a new article of manufacture an illuminated sign comprising a cylindrical shaped casing the circumferential edges of which are bent laterally inward, rings secured to the outer edges of said casing, and projecting beyond said bent edges, sign plates forming the end walls of said casing, means for securing said sign-plates in position against said bent edges, and an illuminant within said casing between said plates.

2. As a new article of manufacture an illuminated sign comprising a cylindrical shaped casing the circumferential edgesof which are bent laterally inward, rings'secured to the outer edges of said casing, and

projecting beyond said bent edges and together therewith form a seat for the sign-' plates, sign-plates forming the end walls of said casing, means for securing said signplates in position against said bent edges, transparencies back of said sign-plates, and an illuminant within said casing between said transparencies.

3.-As a new article of manufacture an illuminated sign comprising a cylindrical shaped casing the circumferential edges of which are bent laterally inward, rings secured to the outer edges of said casing, and projecting beyond said bent edges, signplates forming the end walls of said casing, means for securing said sign-plates in position against said bent edges, rotatable trans. parencies back of said sign-plates, and an illuminant Within said casing between said transparencies.

4. As a new article of manufacture an illuminated sign comprising a suitable casing the circumferential edges of which are bent laterally inward,.rings secured to said casing, and projecting beyond said bent edges, sign-plates forming the end Walls of said casing, retaining-strips secured to said rings and securing said sign-plates in position against said bent edges, and an illuminant within said casing between said plates. As a new article of manufacture an illuminated sign comprising a cylindrical shaped casing the circumferential edges of which are bent laterally inwar(l,,rings secured to the outeredges of said casing, and

projecting beyond said bent edges, signplates forming the end walls of said casing, retaiuing-strips secured to said rings and securing said sign-plates in position against said bent edges, transparencies back of said sign-plates, and an illuminant within said casing between said transparencies.

(3. As a new article of manufacture an illuminated sign comprising a cylindrical shaped casing the circumferential edges of which are bent laterally inward, rings secured to the outer edges of said casing, and projecting beyond said bentedges, signplates forming the end walls of said casing, substantially L-shaped retaining-strips secured to said rings and securing said signplates in position against said bent edges, and an illuminant within said casing between said plates.

7. As a new article of manufacture an illuminated sign comprising a cylindrical- LEONARD A. \VATKINS.

lVitnesses E. K. LU'NDY, M. E. MARTIN. 

